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Occurence of Microplastics in Manila Bay
Summary
Microplastics were collected and characterized from water samples in Manila Bay, Philippines, using filtration, NaOH oxidation, and density separation to identify polymer types including polyethylene, polyester, and polystyrene. The study documents the presence of microplastics in a major urban bay and contributes to baseline monitoring of plastic pollution in Southeast Asian waters.
Microplastics were identified as plastic fragments with size of less than 5mm. Plastics undergoes weathering over time within bodies of water, causing it to break into smaller pieces, micro-sized or nano-sized. Sampling were conducted within the vicinity of Manila bay. The isolation of microplastics were executed by filtering the water through a 0.3mm nylon mesh for two (2) hours. Through this method, 20,000L ~ 25,000L of water were filtered. The solid residue from the filtration underwent digestion through NaOH oxidation. Through density separation technique, the microplastics were classified according to the standard density of known polymers (Polyethylene, Polyester, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and Polyvinyl chloride). The classified microplastics was observed under a compound microscope and the sizes of each fragments were determined through ocular micrometer. Image analysis was done through ImageJ and the RGB values of each microplastics were determined to assign a specific color to the sample. Microplastics are present in Manila Bay, and it can be harmful to the marine life present within the manila bay and its neighboring aquatic ecosystem. Keywords : microplastics, plastics, Manila Bay